ASUS RT-AC87U router review is a big technological leap. Review and testing of ASUS RT-AC87U wireless router Connecting ASUS RT-AC87U router

The router has great capabilities in terms of working with external drives connected to it via the USB 3.0 bus. As I said, FAT32, NTFS, EXT2 / 3/4 and HFS + file systems are supported. Thus, the TOSHIBA STOR.E ALU KIT hard drive with NTFS and USB 3.0, which has a peak performance of 119 MB / s, when connected via FTP, showed 75 MB / s for linear reading and 60 MB / s for linear writing. These results can be described as very good.

Output

ASUS RT-AC87U testing has shown that this is a very productive router. However, alas, there is no question of any 2334 Mbit / s declared by the manufacturer. There is nothing to be done - in order to increase sales, the company's marketers resort to advertising the hardware bandwidth, and do not indicate its real performance. So, ASUS itself does not have a corresponding adapter on sale. And while more and more devices that support 802.11ac appear every day, this standard is still in its infancy.

Nevertheless, ASUS RT-AC87U is a very high quality equipment. I had no complaints, either to the hardware or software components of the device. The router is functional and easy to use.

At the time of testing, the equipment was not on sale. However, this router can be purchased in the US for about $ 300. Expensive. Such a device can afford to purchase very wealthy users who are willing to put up with the non-implementation of some functions. But the same ASUS has in its portfolio quite adequate and affordable ac-routers.

Today, the vast majority of wireless routers on the market support the 802.11n standard, which began to be actively used in 2008. At the same time, the real possibilities even within its framework may differ significantly. The main characteristics are the supported bands (the most common variants are 2.4 GHz and 2.4 + 5 GHz) and the maximum connection speed (usually 150, 300 or 450 Mbps).

The first models to support the next generation of 802.11ac wireless communication were introduced in the second half of 2012. At the beginning of its distribution, only the most powerful and expensive devices could boast of it. This standard allowed providing a connection speed of 1300 Mbps in the 5 GHz range. The secret to such a significant increase in performance is quite simple - the use of four channels instead of two and new coding schemes.

But the marketing machine keeps moving, and this year manufacturers are trying to tempt us with new speeds. One of the new products hitting shelves this summer is the Asus RT-AC87U. This device is based on the modern dual-core Broadcom platform, and the use of the new solution from Quantenna for the 5 GHz band together with the installation of four antennas allows it to be classified as AC2400 (1733 + 600).

Note that the progress regarding the Asus RT-AC66U model, which is already about two years old and which is undoubtedly successful, is not as great as we would like. In addition, the stated figures are very difficult to transfer to the real world. In particular, there are no corresponding adapters to achieve the maximum speed per client yet, and support for MU-MIMO technology is only in the chip itself, but not in the firmware and adapters. So at the moment it will not be possible to study in detail some of the interesting features of the device, therefore this test is in the format of "first acquaintance" and does not pretend to be complete. We will follow the development of the situation and when new opportunities appear, we will definitely return to this unusual device.

Contents of delivery

Recall that the RT-AC87U and RT-AC87R models are completely identical in terms of characteristics and firmware, but differ only in name and sales channel. So in this article, we use the more familiar first name everywhere, although the second option is used on the box and in the web interface.

By its appearance, weight (more than 1.8 kg!) And format, the packaging of the router is more like the delivery of not the smallest laptop. Since the device is positioned at the very top of the line, the manufacturer decided to redesign the box again. This time, white and black colors were used, as well as matt lacquer.

The buyer can view the router in the photographs, clarify the main technical characteristics, learn about additional functions and get acquainted with the connectors and connections.

After removing the cover, you will see the router secured in a specially shaped black cardboard insert. The compartment underneath contains four detachable antennas, a multilingual quick start guide, a warranty card, and a documentation and software CD.

On the right in the side unit, a network patch cord and a power supply were placed. The latter produces 45 W (19 V 2.37 A), which can be justified by connecting external hard drives. The manufacturer speaks about the currents increased to 1.5 and 1.75 A at the USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports, respectively.

Appearance

Unlike smartphones, the large size in the segment of high-performance routers is perceived by manufacturers as a plus. Asus RT-AC87U is no exception. Its overall dimensions, excluding antennas and connections, are 29 × 17 × 5 centimeters. The body of the router is made of matte dark gray plastic and has an excellent finish, partly reminiscent of the past "diamond" design.

The main option for placing the router is on a horizontal surface. Large rubber feet give the device the necessary stability. If necessary, you can try to fix the model on the wall, but the holes provided for this, in our opinion, are not very convenient.

The design of the case most of all resembles, perhaps, the hood of a sports car. In the center of the top cover there is a chrome-plated manufacturer's logo. Along the front edge are indicators that, with their soft light, resemble LED backlighting.

On the beveled front edge on the left, there are buttons for turning off the indicators and Wi-Fi, and on the right, behind a hinged rubber cover, a USB 3.0 port is hidden.

Considering that the second port on the back only supports USB 2.0, this option seems suboptimal. Still, on an ongoing basis, devices are usually connected from the back. And the large hinged lid is very inconvenient.

There are ventilation grilles on the side ends and at the bottom of the router. For the used powerful platform, they are not at all superfluous.

At the back are four standard connectors for external antennas, gigabit network ports (four LAN and one WAN), a power supply input with a switch, a hidden reset button, a WPS button and a USB 2.0 port.

The dimensions of the case allow you to accommodate all this without any problems. No connectors are blocked, almost any modem can be installed in the USB port without extension cables, and it is also easy to connect a client via WPS.

Without a doubt, the design and quality of materials are in line with the status of this model.

Hardware configuration

The hardware stuffing of this model is no less interesting. The central processor of the router is Broadcom BCM4709A, which has two ARM cores with a frequency of 1 GHz, a built-in gigabit switch, a USB controller and PCIe bus for connecting radio modules. The flash memory is 128 MB and the RAM is installed 256 MB.

The familiar Broadcom BCM4360 is responsible for servicing the 2.4 GHz band, but a new product is installed at 5 GHz - the Quantenna QSR1000 chipset. The first, connected to the PCIe 2.0 x1 bus, provides support for 802.11b / g / n with connection speeds up to 600 Mbps. As a reminder, most clients today operate at speeds up to 450 Mbps inclusive, and support for encoding to achieve 600 Mbps is very rare.

The second controller was introduced last spring as the first "second wave" 802.11ac controller solution. Its main differences are support for four spatial streams (maximum connection speed - 1733 Mbps) and MU-MIMO (Multi-user MIMO) technology.

A feature of the architecture of the router under consideration is the connection of this chip not to the PCIe bus, but to a specialized RGMII interface, which has the maximum performance at the level of a gigabit network. This decision has certain negative consequences. First, the total speed of the wireless access point cannot exceed one gigabit. Second, it shares bandwidth with one of the LAN ports. Thirdly, a separate processor for processing traffic of a 5 GHz access point with its own memory and flash chips, connected in the described way, is a “black box” not only for enthusiasts who offer alternative firmware for Asus routers, but also for the device manufacturer itself.

The introduction of new technologies is not an easy task. In most cases, implementation requires the simultaneous support of many elements, and for real impact they must all work in concert. A chip maker can create a new chip and colorfully describe the benefits of this solution in marketing materials. However, it is one thing to put together a demo stand for an exhibition, and quite another to set up mass production of products and ensure their compatibility.

If you look at MU-MIMO, everything looks great on paper. Current "regular" Wi-Fi implementations use shared bandwidth for clients — only one device communicates with an access point at a time. If it is more "simple" than a router (for example, a router with three antennas and a speed of up to 1300 Mbit / s, and an adapter in a smartphone with one antenna and a speed of up to 433 Mbit / s), or does not consume much from the Internet "Thick" stream (for example, video from YouTube), then the time slot allocated for it is used very inefficiently and the real system performance is far from the figures stated in the characteristics of the router. Given that the situations described are encountered almost everywhere and always, it is quite expected that the developers paid attention to this problem. One of the options for its solution is the MU-MIMO technology. Roughly speaking, it allows, when several "simple" clients are working, to allocate a router to each with its own antenna. As a result, the latter will be able to work simultaneously with more than one device at any time, which significantly increases the efficiency of using the radio air and increases overall productivity. As you understand, in this case, for this beautiful scheme to work, you need to have support from the hardware (in the router and in the clients) and software (in the firmware and drivers). And if with the first the situation seems clear, then everything else only raises even more questions. In particular, the considered router from a technical point of view is capable of providing the implementation of MU-MIMO, but in practice it will not be possible to see the effect of the technology today. Of course, this is a very interesting question for many users and we will definitely come back to it in the future as soon as possible. The connection speed of 1733 Mbps also exists so far only on paper, since there are no corresponding adapters. We did not have a second such router to check the bridge mode.

Evaluation of the device's consumption level showed that it does not exceed 15 watts on test loads. To ensure a comfortable thermal regime, three independent radiators are installed: on the processor and on each radio unit. Under load, the upper panel of the router case heats up slightly. No negative consequences of this were noted.

The performance of the router was measured with firmware 3.0.0.4.376_2678. At the time of publication of the article, version 3.0.0.4.376.2769 is already available, but, judging by the description, there are no significant changes for this testing.

Customization and capabilities

Modern Asus routers have unified firmware, so in this case it makes no sense to dwell on its capabilities in detail, since this year we have already written about it many times. Although the programmers of the company, of course, do not sit idle and constantly upgrade the software of the device.

The web interface has translation into several languages, including Russian, a convenient "Network Map" page for monitoring the device status, special buttons for popular operations, and a built-in help system.

All modern popular options are implemented to connect to the Internet. Standard additional features are provided - DDNS client, IPTV, UDP proxy, port forwarding, DMZ, UPnP and NAT Passthrough for some protocols. The router has the ability to use two connections to the network with availability control to implement fault-tolerant operating modes.

The settings of the local network segment are also traditional - setting your own IP address and choosing the parameters of the DHCP server. We will also mention the support of the IPv6 protocol by the router.

Almost nothing has changed for wireless access points either. The router has the ability to turn them on on a schedule, install a MAC address filter, organize guest networks, connect clients via WPS, adjust the output power in percent. I was surprised only by the lack of support for WPA-Enterprise with a RADIUS server in the 5 GHz band. Note that the device operates as an access point and a wireless bridge.

The set of capabilities of a regular firewall is also familiar for a long time: URL filter, keyword filter and packet (service) filter.

In this firmware, we also discovered a new protection function - AiProtection, implemented using technologies from Trend Micro. It allows you to check the current settings of the router to identify weak spots, block sites using the Trend Micro database, detect and block infected devices on the local network.

This module also includes advanced parental controls. In addition to restricting access of selected clients to the Internet on a schedule, there are individual filters to block a certain type of content by category.

The bandwidth management section has also changed slightly. In addition to monitoring by interfaces, it is now possible to view the current rates of reception and transmission of data for each client, determine priorities for them, use the "adaptive" mode, in which the traffic classification by categories occurs automatically. It is not very clear why the history of domain names for web surfing was also added to this section. Moreover, there are no convenient tools for exporting data. Only filtering by client is provided. Unfortunately, there is no precise and detailed description of the new functions, which makes it difficult to study them.

Given the powerful hardware platform, a VPN server and client is expected. The server supports PPTP and OpenVPN protocols, and the client can additionally work with L2TP. This feature will help to organize secure remote access to the local network and networking.

The "Administration" section contains items for updating the firmware, managing settings, selecting a device operating mode and several system options. Among the latter, we will mention the choice of the administrator name and password, setting the clock, enabling access to the console via telnet, allowing working with the web interface from the Internet, enabling https, sending messages to the Syslog server.

As in other models of Asus routers, in addition to the traditional system log, the device has separate pages for checking the status of wireless clients, viewing routing tables, port forwarding and current connections.

The network utilities group contains the ping, traceroute, nslookup, and netstat programs. It is also possible to use WOL technology to wake up devices on the local network.

The router is equipped with USB ports, which allows you to implement many additional services. If two ports are not enough, you can connect devices via a hub. As external drives, you can use flash drives and hard drives marked with MBR or GPT. The list of supported file systems consists of FAT32, NTFS, EXT2 / 3/4 and HFS +. We did not notice the negative impact of USB 3.0 devices on the operation of the wireless network in the 2.4 GHz band. Note that this model uses the Tuxera driver, which allows us to hope for high results in performance tests.

User data is accessed via SMB and FTP protocols. The creation of several users and the setting of individual rights for them is provided. In the case of using the Time Machine service, you will need to work with an administrator account, which is not very convenient.

Additionally, DLNA media server and iTunes server services are implemented. Moreover, the user can select for indexing not all drives at once, but only certain folders.

We didn’t forget about the system of offline download of files via the protocols http, ftp, BitTorrent, ed2k, nzb. It is controlled via a web interface or a proprietary utility for Windows. There is a possibility of remote control of work via the Internet.

Also, USB ports can be used with 3G / 4G modems to organize an Internet connection through cellular providers (including for backing up the main wired channel), printers and MFPs. For printing, you can use the standard LRP protocol that is implemented in many operating systems. If scanning functions are required, then this is done using a special utility for Windows that organizes a connection via a virtual USB port.

The AiCloud suite of remote data access and synchronization services is now in its second version. It provides work with files on external drives and in a local network through a web browser and a mobile utility for Android and iOS, turning on systems via WOL, synchronizing data between two routers and with cloud storage WebStorage and Dropbox.

Performance

The device differs from its predecessor by using a faster processor and a new chip in a 5 GHz radio unit. The former can help improve the performance of routing in PPTP and L2TP modes, and also affects the speed of the VPN server and network disk access.

The first graph shows the results of measuring the routing speed in various modes of connection to the Internet, which were carried out according to our standard method at a special stand.

The differences from its predecessor are quite noticeable, especially in PPTP and L2TP. With these types of connections, you can count on about 300 Mbps versus the maximum 230 Mbps of its predecessor. For massive 100 Mbit / s channels, this is, of course, insignificant, but today operators offering higher speeds are increasingly common.

The VPN server was tested in three modes: PPTP with and without encryption, and OpenVPN with default settings. The graphs show the indicators averaged over three scenarios (reception, transmission and full duplex, eight streams in each case).

In this scenario, the novelty is also significantly ahead of its predecessor. For the most complex variant (OpenVPN), the speed increased from 35 to 45 Mbps. In this case, apparently, not only faster processor cores played a role, but also software optimization.

To test the operating speed in the scenario of the network drive, we used a WD10EFRX hard drive of the WD Red series and an external SATA-USB 3.0 box based on an ASMedia chip. A partition with FAT32, NTFS, EXT2 / 3/4 and HFS + file systems was created on the disk. To obtain the results, a 2 GB file was read and written through the Windows Network Neighborhood and using an FTP client. Recall that this model uses a special Tuxera driver to work with file systems other than the standard Linux ones.

And this time the new router turns out to be faster than the previous leader. It is interesting to note that in terms of read speeds, the device is comparable to the lower-end models of NAS. And the write speed at the level of 40-50 MB / s for routers is very good.

The second difference from the Asus RT-AC68U, as we already wrote above, cannot be investigated in detail at the moment. So the only thing that can be interesting is to check the compatibility of the new 5 GHz chip with the adapters we already have. They were TP-Link TL-WDN4800 (802.11n, 450 Mbps), Asus PCE-AC68 (802.11ac, 1300 Mbps), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260 (, 867 Mbps), AzureWave AW-CB161H (802.11ac (Realtek RTL8821AE chip), 433 Mbps).

The distance between the devices was about four meters. The tests were carried out in one / two streams and eight streams.

The main testing was carried out only in the 5 GHz band on 802.11n and 802.11ac standards (depending on the adapter). A quick check at 2.4 GHz with TP-Link TL-WDN4800 showed that the situation with the implementation of this range is standard. On a 20 MHz channel, you can expect about 100 Mbps, and for a 40 MHz channel, the speed is 200 Mbps or more. The Asus PCE-AC68 adapter, thanks to the support of the 600 Mbps connection speed in the 2.4 GHz band, shows the results even slightly higher. However, the use of this combination in practice seems unlikely, since 802.11ac is significantly faster, as we see in the following graph.

First of all, let's note the high results of the used adapter with 802.11n. Despite the fact that the formal connection speed, like in previous tests, was 450 Mbps, the real performance has increased significantly.

As for devices with 802.11ac, the top-end Asus PCE-AC68 adapter as a whole performed better at the moment, and the maximum speed for it exceeded 850 Mbps. The Intel model scored 350-380 Mbps in this test, which is slightly less than what we saw in our previous testing. But the newcomer, equipped with only one antenna and capable of connecting at 433 Mbit / s, on the contrary, proved to be on the good side. Its speed was about 250 Mbps, which is very good for its configuration.

In general, the new solution from Quantenna turned out to be well compatible with the adapters used in the test, and it does not have significant problems that were sometimes noted at the stage of 802.11n's formation.

I would like to hope that the implementation of all its capabilities in the firmware of the router and adapters will not keep us waiting and will allow us to conduct many more interesting tests.

Addition

A little later, we were given the opportunity to test a 5 GHz wireless access point in 802.11ac mode using a second same router in bridge mode. The conditions for making changes are similar to those described above. The results are shown in the following graph.

As we can see, despite the higher numbers in the device specification, the real performance does not differ much from the PCE-AC68 adapter used on the client. This is most likely due to the unusual hardware implementation of this router element.

conclusions

No one doubts that Asus is one of the brightest innovators in the IT market. Despite the fact that the 802.11ac wireless standard is relatively weak today, this manufacturer has launched a next-generation router to the market with support for new technologies and capabilities. However, testing has shown that at the moment, buyers, unfortunately, will not be able to use them. It is very likely that this rush is marketing in nature.

There are almost no comments on the design of the router and the quality of its workmanship. With a large case, you don't have to worry about overheating and connecting devices on the back. So the only controversial point is the USB 3.0 port covered with a lid.

The powerful hardware provides a noticeable advantage over its predecessor in most tests, including routing, VPN server and external drive. However, you need to understand that in the top segment, each next step is given more and more expensive, and for most use cases the difference will be insignificant.

The new 802.11ac chip used by the company performed well with several adapter models from different manufacturers. Let's hope that this router will still implement such a useful feature as MU-MIMO, which can increase performance when multiple clients are running simultaneously.

The firmware of the router differs little from previous models. It has support for modern technologies for connecting to the Internet, channel reservation via a cellular modem, working with storage devices, media servers, a file download system and cloud services. We note the emergence of new protection functions implemented using technologies from Trend Micro.

The model has not yet been presented on the domestic market. The cost in foreign stores (about $ 280 at the time of this writing) exceeds the price of its predecessor by almost one and a half times. Given the uncertain situation with the implementation of some new opportunities, it is difficult to recognize it as adequate. The device will be interesting for maximalists who do not have budget constraints.

Grade 5

Advantages: Speed \u200b\u200bof work, settings interface, easy connection, a lot of chips needed and not very much. It heats up more than other Asus, but not critical.

Disadvantages: The price in the current conditions, the coverage is not so hot personally in my case

Comment: I took the Asus rt-ac56u as a replacement, which served me faithfully for two years. The 56th worked around the clock, supported 3-4 iPhones, an iPad, a stationary computer and 2 laptops + a TV with a media server. The problem was one, I could not cover the whole apartment. This model works almost the same, I don't see a big difference, including in the coverage. 87u stands in the same place where 56u stood before, I'm not a specialist in this area, but after reading the characteristics-girth of 460 meters, I was impressed and in its 105 sq. m. I hoped for a better result. 2 breaks concrete walls, but with an enema, unfortunately. There are no more complaints, given the fact that one watches movies online, two are cut in Dota2 in different rooms and I watch something through HMS with a rating of 5 with a minus. only because I can't read mail and news on the balcony in the morning))), the connection is broken. The router is in the center of the hut. Would have bought it knowing all this, probably not. rt-ac56u grabbed by the eyes. But overall good toy.

Grade 5

Advantages: 1) High functionality, in fact, it is not a large media center. There is a built-in DNLA server;
2) 4 ports 1000 Mb / s and external USB 3.0 allow you to organize a NAS with an average data transfer rate of 40 Mb / s for reading and 30 Mb / s for writing, which is quite normal for a home. There is a built-in torrent client;
3) after switching to firmware 3.0.0.4.378_7410, the router works stably without reboots.
4) using AiDisk and ASUS DDNS services, any user can be allowed to download via ftp from an external disk.
5) support for the simultaneous operation of 2.4 and 5 GHz really helps to distribute traffic between devices. The 5GHz signal works further and I hook all smartphones at 5GHz. It covers a two-room apartment completely, moreover, it reaches from the 3rd floor to the shop at the entrance.
5) By deflecting the antennas, you can adjust the signal coverage area.
6) I do not observe brakes in operation and when setting up too. It takes a long time to overload (30-60 seconds), but this is only needed during configuration, it is not reflected in constant operation.

Disadvantages: 1) built-in ftp server is not functional. Provides the root list of files for reading, but allows viewing and writing only to the permitted folders;
2) the built-in torrent client is very simple. It does not even allow you to choose the path where to download a specific download, this is a general setting for the entire client. There is no Download Master extension for Yandex Browser, only Chrome, Firefox and IE;

Comment: I tried to install the firmware from merlin to deploy a normal torrent, ftp and overcome problems with unreasonable overloads of the router 1-2 times a week, but ran into glitches:
1) after the firmware, the router did not want to receive an IP address from the provider via DHCP, but when it was manually registered, everything worked;
2) the speed over Wi-Fi could not be increased by more than 72Mb / s in both ranges. On native firmware, everything works at 150 Mb / s.
I did not experiment any more, I installed firmware 3.0.0.4.378_7410 and the stability problem went away.

Other functions such as guest network, parental control, dual WAN, QoS, VPN - have not yet been used, because this is more suitable for a small office.

Shmagarenko Alexander July 28, 2015, Tomsk

Grade 5

Advantages: 1. Dual-core processor BCM4709A with a frequency of 1GHz.
2. The 2.4 and 5GHz bands sit on two different chips.
3. Two USB ports, one of them is USB 3.0
4. Finally, we made separate buttons for turning off the LEDs and wifi.
5. Unchannel parental control: each individual device can restrict sites, services, and monitor traffic and visited sites in real time. What was previously unavailable in official firmware.
6. Availability of alternative firmware (Merlin, Tomato)

Disadvantages: 1. Price, to put it mildly - not budget.
2. Heats up quite noticeably.

Comment: Took to replace RT-N66U.

Kulakov Alexander May 26, 2015, Moscow \\ Experience of use: less than a month

Grade 5

Advantages: Easy to set up, confident signal.

Disadvantages: Not yet revealed

Commentary: For those who need a hassle-free Internet connection, including wireless.
Worth the money. Probably the best router for the common user at the moment.

Grade 5

Advantages: + Excellent indicators of signal range and stable transmission;
+ USB 3.0 for connecting SSD and HDD drives;
+ Convenient WEB-interface ASUSWRT and great opportunities for customization;
+ Currently the best speed indicators among Wi-Fi routers (I don't take professional solutions into account because of their high cost);
+ Modern hardware with two CPUs: 1GHz 2.4GHz and 1.2GHz for 5GHz;
+ Support for Dual-LAN, which in fact gives a two-fold increase in performance (assuming a gigabit Internet channel).

Disadvantages: There are none at the moment!

Commentary: I have been using it for the third day and the impressions are only positive. I bought ASUS RT-AC66U to replace my old router. it was no longer enough for my needs and there was no full coverage of the required area of \u200b\u200bthe house. In conjunction with the ASUS USB-AC56 wireless adapter, it shows the speed at the level of a wired connection of 100 Mbit. The latest firmware fixes a problem with the Wi-Fi range of 5GHz that users wrote about.
First device on the market with built-in network security:
- Assessment of the security of the router;
- Blocking malicious sites;
- Intrusion prevention;
- Detection and blocking of infected devices and parental control at the hardware level, not to be confused with a firewall.
Of course, as many wrote, this is a high-tech design, which is noticeable from the first time and stands out among similar devices from other manufacturers is a bonus to the acquisition \u003d)

Vyazalov Leonid 23 April 2015, Moscow \\ Experience of use: less than a month

Grade 5

Advantages: A cool router breaks through 90 m2 of reinforced concrete walls with a bang with a bang, in the farthest corner 60mb out of 100mb of the incoming signal, no device has been able to do this before.

Disadvantages: No. Well, maybe only the size

If you need to meet the needs for high-speed access to the network of tenants of a large apartment, then there are several routing monsters on the market with incredible performance. Below we will consider in detail one of such devices from the "Asus" company.

About device

The dual-band ASUS RT AC87U is based on the 1 GHz Quantenna QSR1000 and Broadcom BCM4709 chipsets. The speed in the Wi-Fi broadcast mode at 5 GHz reaches 1734 Mbps.

Already from these characteristics it becomes clear that the device belongs to the top category, which is focused on wealthy users.

However, taking into account the significant congestion of the 2.4 GHz range, the purchase of such equipment also becomes relevant for residents of apartment buildings.

The developers tried to take into account all the nuances and possible problems during the operation of the device at increased loads. The cooling system is well designed and even with impressive hardware parameters, the body of the device heats up slightly.

The owner of the router quickly forgets about the problems with speed surges when working on the World Wide Web. Thanks to the support of 3G / 4G modems connected to the device's USB connector, you can provide double protection against temporary loss of communication due to the fault of providers.

Design

Above, in large letters, the name of the company is applied and on the front edge of the top cover there is a decoding of the light indicators.

In order to ensure proper cooling of the powerful hardware filling, perforation slots are additionally brought out to the ends of the device.

The manufacturer has provided two special keys, conveniently located on the front of the case.

One of them, "LED", when pressed, turns off the mode lamps so that they do not have an annoying effect on the owner of the router in the dark; it also saves electricity, although not significantly. The second button turns off Wi-Fi.

A hidden USB 3.0 port is installed on the opposite side of the keys.

The bottom cover has stable rubber-based supports to prevent slipping on the slippery table surface.

If desired, the device can also be fixed on a vertical surface; for this, special mounts are provided.

Also on the bottom of the device is a label with information about the device.

There are also perforations for cooling on the bottom cover, therefore it is recommended to install the device only on a hard surface.

At the rear, the connectors are located wide, as a result of which there will be no difficulties with connecting large-sized devices and additional purchase of adapters will not be required.

After opening the package, the user, in addition to the router itself, will find in it: antennas (in the amount of 4 pcs.), A short description of the commissioning instructions, a power adapter, documents for warranty service, a patch cord, a CD with software and a user manual ... From the included instructions, the customer can find out the web configurator login address and authorization parameters.

If you open the lid of the router, you can be convinced of the high-quality performance of the Taiwanese gadget assembly firm. Hardware stuffing is mounted on a durable textolite plate.

Large radiators of the cooling system are installed above it.

There is no forced cooling in the device and now it becomes clear that the case is equipped with good perforation

The manufacturer has provided everything for the new owner of the gadget to quickly and without additional searches for equipment put it into operation. And the appearance and equipment justify the high cost of the device.

Preparatory measures before commissioning and software updates

When entering the device web configurator for the first time, a configuration wizard will guide the user. Through it, you can quickly enter the main network settings and protect the interface by yourself by inventing a password.

If you need more sophisticated debugging, you can switch to manual mode for entering parameters.

It is recommended to change the default authorization characteristics.

The owner of the future Wi-Fi network can choose one of the three offered modes, for example, bridge.

For the setup to be successful, it follows from the contract with the provider to find out the type of connection. If the document is lost, the service provider can provide all the information by phone.

The interface is so friendly and intuitive that it rarely becomes difficult to enter settings. The main thing after the procedure is not to forget to save the adjustments by clicking "Apply".

Despite the fact that the firmware already installed in the device is quite functional, but in order to maximize the efficiency of the device it is better to upgrade it already within the framework of preparatory measures

To update the software, you must perform these sequential steps:

The manufacturer does not recommend using third-party software, for example, DD-WRT, as often this firmware led to failures and then recovery was required. Please note that using alternative software will void your hardware warranty.

The official source of Asus has a special utility "Firmware Restoration", which is designed to restore a damaged device to life by third-party programs.

Among the owners of this router, the Asuswrt merlin firmware is especially popular.

It is based on factory software from Asus. It lacks many of the flaws of the original software and contains some additional functions.

However, no matter how flattering reviews were about alternative firmware, their use is associated with a certain risk.

Customization

As noted above, the address and parameters for authorization to enter the web configurator are written in the router documentation. The interface for models with the last letter in the name "U" and "R" is completely the same.

It should be noted that the entry into the settings of this router is very quickly carried out through mobile gadgets on the Android platform. At the same time, all the menus of the web configurator are displayed correctly and no errors have been noticed in them yet. After starting it, you should select Russian.

Through the main menu, you can immediately open the quick settings or make fine manual adjustments to the parameters.

It is recommended to study the "Network Map". It allows you to control the operating modes of the device.

In order to connect to the global network, it is required to enter the parameters specified in the agreement with the provider.

It should be noted that the router is capable of using two connections at once with constant monitoring of their availability. This minimizes the risk of failure of operating modes.

In the "Local network" section, it is possible to register a specific IP and specify the parameters of the DHCP server. This section also contains an intuitive menu for setting up an interactive TV. It should be noted that the machine supports IPv6 protocol.

In the "Wireless network" section, set the name of the created Wi-Fi and, having come up with it, enter a complex security code. For each band, you can select the wireless network mode, channel and its width, encryption type, etc. After entering the parameters, click "Apply".

If necessary, you can use the MAC filter, organize guest networks, set a specific value for the signal transmission power, connect guests via WPS. The device can operate both as an access point and as a repeater.

When configuring firewalls, it is recommended to use filters: packets, keywords and URL.

In the "AiProtection" section, an additional security level is configured. Here it is necessary to analyze the system for "narrow" sides in the field of defense mechanisms.

It blocks Internet pages containing threats and malicious applications, as well as closes access to the home network for devices whose system is damaged by viruses.

This section activates parental controls. The item "Check for security" shows the parameters of the harmlessness of the router and home network. The owner of the router independently specifies which functions to enable there.

Immediately after detecting a client with a virus, the device sends a message to the e-mail of the network owner.

In the "Adaptive service" tab, the user monitors the current data transmission and reception rates and specifies the restrictions and priorities for any client.

Through the VPN server tab, remote access to the equipment connected to the home line is organized. If necessary, the same section is used to combine networks.

Advanced syslog additionally allows you to analyze the routing tables, the operation of wireless clients, as well as all current connections.

It is allowed to connect not only flash drives, MFPs and hard drives to usb-connectors, but also modems of cellular operators. The latter allows you to reserve the main channel in order to increase the reliability of the Internet connection.

The web configurator controls the file upload system for popular services.

The "network map" will show if there is an internet connection. And also here are the main settings of the two ranges and the data of the levels of the RAM and processor load.

In a special subsection "Traffic monitoring", the interface load is controlled.

The list of sites that the client entered is displayed in the "Web history" section.

In the "Switch Control" tab, you can set the NAT acceleration method.

Conclusion

Asus has reaffirmed that it is the IT market innovator in the wireless niche. The router discussed above is a vivid confirmation of this. There can be no complaints about the appearance and hardware stuffing.

In general, the device evokes only positive emotions, but this is only until the moment of finding out its value. Therefore, for the time being, the device can only be acquired by people who are not limited in means, who prefer the best devices.

When the endless web
Carries the threads of clear days ...
A. Fet. In autumn

So, it's late autumn again - and again ASUS is updating its line of the most powerful home routers. In December, a new ASUS RT-AC87U model will appear in Russian stores - the direct successor to RT-AC66U and RT-AC68U. This applies not only to hardware and capabilities, but also to design. The new router has grown considerably and got heavier - 290x168x48 mm and 747 grams, respectively. And this is without taking into account external antennas with a length of 170 mm each! And the box with the router is twice as large as itself and weighs as much as two kilos. In general, it's solid that it's already there. Why, in fact, the router came out not so small, you will find out further, but for now let's turn to the appearance of the novelty.

⇡ What is in my appearance to you?

Perhaps one of the most pleasant moments in the appearance of the RT-AC87U is the ability to hang the device on the wall, which its predecessor was deprived of. Yes, perhaps the location of the grooves for the screws is not the best, but it is forgivable. Still, initially, apparently, it was supposed to install the router only in a horizontal position.

The body of the device is completely made of black matte plastic. On the top cover on the sides there is a small notch in the spirit of the same "cut" that was present in almost all ASUS routers in recent years. In general, outwardly, the router resembles in front of some Lamborghini sports car from the 80s - a high rear and a pointed nose with a sharp bevel at the bottom.

In addition, in front, at the very edge, there is a strip of bright blue indicators, which, however, are not that annoying with their glow. The indication is standard - WAN and LAN ports, both access points, power, Network presence and WPS operation. To the left of them, on the same bevel, are hidden two very large buttons for quickly turning on and off the indicators and wireless Wi-Fi modules.

But to the right, for some reason, they took out the USB 3.0 port, closed with a cap. The solution is inconvenient both because of the cap, which sooner or later will fall off anyway, and because you just need to connect the drive to USB 3.0 and calm down. It would be more logical to put it on the back wall, where there is more than enough space, and place it next to another port, this time USB 2.0.

There are also five Ethernet ports, a button and a power socket, as well as a couple of buttons for activating WPS and resetting settings. There are plenty of places, however, before connecting the antenna cords, it is still worth screwing them in - they are very large. The power supply remains the same compact, although its power has increased to 45 W. On the lace he still has a comfortable Velcro so that nothing unnecessary dangles.